Barcelona forward Raphinha has labeled Pedri as one of the best players in the world. The Spanish midfielder has been in superb form this season, registering six goals and seven assists from 54 games across competitions.
Pedri has missed just one game this campaign, against Valencia in the league, and has been indispensable under Hansi Flick. The Catalans have sizzled under the German tactician this season, already winning the Supercopa de España and the Copa del Rey.
The LaLiga giants are also in the Champions League semifinals, where they face Inter Milan in the second leg on Tuesday, May 6, at San Siro. Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal have taken the plaudits for Barcelona’s form, but Pedri has also been integral to their rise.
Speaking recently, as cited by Barca Universal, Raphinha added that the Spaniard doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves.
The Catalans are also leading the LaLiga title race after 34 games, and are four points ahead of Real Madrid in second. The two bitter rivals, interestingly, meet for the fourth time this season on Sunday, May 11, in the league.
Notably, Barcelona have won all three previous meetings.
Barcelona remain interested in Rafael Leao, according to SPORT. Club president Joan Laporta is apparently a fan of the player and dreams of seeing him at Camp Nou.
The Catalans apparently consider the Portuguese a good fit for their plans, although their financial situation makes the move difficult to complete. The LaLiga giants remain in the market for a new left-forward this summer, and are eyeing multiple candidates for the job.
Leao has been in fine form for AC Milan this season, registering 12 goals and 13 assists from 48 games across competitions. Barcelona believe that the 25-year-old’s versatility could be an added asset to their plans.
However, the presence of Raphinha in the squad could jeopardize a move. The Brazilian has been in exceptional form of late, and dislodging him from the starting XI won’t be easy.
Leao, meanwhile, won’t be too keen to move to Camp Nou to warm the bench. The player, however, remains open to joining the Catalans this summer.
Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer’s Wikipedia page.
Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina’s glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.
Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.
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